Hi Guys, new to the forums here. I got a 2005 RL A-Spec. I had it since Nov 2007. I had no problems with it until the day I brought it into the dealership for its major service recently (Sept 2010 @ 65k miles. They also changed the differential fluid)

As I drove home after the Honda dealership, my SH-AWD light came on and I can feel my car switch from AWD to 2 wheel drive or something like that. It almost caused me an accident when I tried to speed up to get on the freeway.

This happens EVERY time my car goes over 35 MPH. (The SH-AWD light comes on and my car feels like it loses power in the wheels for a second then picks up again). I brought it back to the dealership and they tried to review the problem. They said they fixed it and everything should be OK. After I drove home again that day, it seemed like it was OK for the first hour of driving on the freeway. Then, the same problem happened again the next day and every day after that. The Honda dealership said I have to bring it into an Acura dealership for further review because they don't know how to solve the problem. Honda said it might be a software issue... WTF?!

I have read numerous threads here but can't seem to find a solution. I would like to give suggestions to Acura to solve the problem in case they never heard of this problem before.

Any help would help. Thanks.

 

Can you please provide more details on the car behavior?
Does it vibrate? Does it stop to slowly? Does it accelerate in its own? Does it make any strange noises? Other than the SW-AWD light on, what else do you experience?

How exactly did it "almost cause you to have an accident?"

 

never heard this one, do provide more details

 

Sorry but I have to say why did you take it to the Honda dealership and not the Acura dealership in the first place?

 

probably cause Acura = Honda but mostly for parts...it's a guess

 

The SH-AWD is Acura only. You may as well take it to a Jiffy-lube, they would have as much experience as a Honda dealership.

 

i'd be willing to bet that the tech at the honda dealer put in VTM 4 Fluid and not the proper fluid in the rear diff.

 

yea please people thake your car for the fluids to Acura if they brake it they have the parts to fix it

 

I'd venture to guess your rear end is blown, they didnt fill all the chambers back up with fluid.

How do I know you ask, well the same thing happened to me.

 

^^^^^
This.

Is there no Acura dealer nearby for you?

BTW, welcome to AZ, even if it's duress that brings you here.

 

Any update OP.

 

that's crazy

 

Hey guys, let me try to explain how my car was acting when the SH-AWD light pops up:

I accelerate normally as I enter the freeway but when it hits 35mph, the light pops up and the car doesn't accelerate for 5 secs. It feels like I am just flooring my gas pedal and I remain at 35mph for about 5 secs and then it picks back up and accelerates again. Imagine you just flooring the gas pedal and the car not moving at all (just revving for 5 secs).

It almost caused me an accident because I usually just hit the gas and pass up cars super fast (300HP baby!). The first time that it happened I couldn't merge onto the lane fast enough to pass up the incoming traffic. Thus, almost causing a big accident because my car wouldn't speed up in time.

The reason I went to Honda is because I did my regular oil service change there. The Acura dealership was a long drive away for me at the time. Honda recommended to change the rear differential fluid back in Sept 2010 (This was the same day that almost caused me the accident). I am not a car guy myself so I really didn't know what it meant. I just knew that my car was AWD so the fluids had to be changed. After the whole incident, I took it back to Honda at least 3 times and they didn't know the problem.... I continued to drive my car with the SH-AWD keep showing up everyday. My only excuse is that I work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week so I just didn't have enough time to solve the problem at an Acura dealership. I learned to adjust my driving behavior because I knew when my car would act weird when I sped up.

THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM:
As you guys know, we received a recall letter for the RLs. This was the only reason I went to the Acura Dealership this past Saturday Jan 15th. (I honestly thought my car was unfixable or it was gonna cost a grip of money to fix the SH-AWD problem). I took my car in on Saturday morning at 9AM. I arranged 3 things: the recall fixture, B1 service, and diagnostic about the SH-AWD light problem. The rep at Acura said the whole process is gonna take a day to complete. They gave me a 2010 TSX loaner car for free. About 7 hours later, the rep called me at work and said he couldn't find the problem with the car. I told him that Honda changed some type of fluid for my AWD system. He reviewed it and called me back in about 1 hour.

He found the problem (I am not a car guy so I don't know if this sounds exactly correct): There are 2 chambers to fill the rear differential fluid. 1 main chamber (suppose to be filled to the max) + 1 aux chamber (suppose to be slightly filled). HOWEVER, THE HONDA TECH SWAPPED THE PROCEDURE! My main chamber was only slightly filled. THIS WAS THE REASON I ALMOST DIED IN A CAR CRASH. The Acura rep said he will try to refill the fluid but there is a chance that my AWD system is completely messed up (which would obviously cost more to fix). They refilled the fluids and test drove my car and the SH-AWD light did not show up anymore. I've been driving my car normally for the past 2-3 days and IT IS PERFECTLY FINE NOW.

I am debating if I should spend time to take legal action against the Honda dealership. These guys almost cost me my life because of their incompetence.

I know that I should've tried to fix the problem in a timely manner. That was my fault.

I am glad that everything seems OK now. I am planning to drive my RL for at least another 2-3 years… until the Tesla Model S comes out. I work 1 block away from their brand new Tesla factory in Fremont, CA

 

I am not a lawyer, but the techs at the Honda agency did you a favor by changing the fluids, but not knowing that they got the chambers mixed up, I doubt that you can get satisfaction. They could have easily said, "Nope won't touch your car".

I had my fluids changed at my local Honda agency, with the new fluids, but they work on a few Acura's, because we are more than 150 miles from the nearest agency North/South of here. I have a great rapport as we have been taking our Acura there since 2000. I was like you, I wondered if they would mess up my car, but it shifts like new.

Have a conversation with the owner and shop manager, and see what they can do "to make this right for you" before you go give some lawyers some of your hard earned cash. I bet you will get something for your effort. Customer good will on their part and a open mind to resolve this amicably on your part, will do you both a lot of good. Keep us posted on how it resolves.

 

FYI, the Honda techs charged me $150 for the rear differential fluid change. Acura charged me another $150 for the same service. I will definitely talk to the manager at Honda for a full $150 refund + pay for the $150 from Acura since Honda caused me more of a problem than a service.

 

I knew it... Been there done that.

Wait, you've been driving around like that since Sept?!?

You are lucky they had to replace my whole rear end, sounds like you had enough fluid to protect the rear but still low enough to cause a light.

 

i know this is a old post, but op did your vsa light also turn on?

 

Also, can anyone enlighten me on this "one chamber should only be slightly filled" thing? I thought there are two chambers to the RL rear diff and BOTH need to be filled to the level of the fill plug (until the fluid starts leaking out).

Am I missing something here?

 

IMHO, if you want service done on your Acura take it to an Acura dealer. They are trained to do what is required in the correct fashion. The SW-AWD is a complicated system that Honda techs are nto trained on, as you found out. Let this be a lesson to you. You have no case against Honda.

 

BS

If you take your any brand car to any business which represents itself as a competent place to have automobiles worked on and they screw up your car, you have a case.